Dream of Brothers
by Rosethorn22
Summary: Brothers. Chiefs. Jealousy. Madness. I actually dreamt this tonight and had to write it down.


My dream from tonight..

In my village I was the Chief. I had inherited the feathers after my father had passed and hoped I'd be a fair Chief and lead my people well. I was young but still, I had passed my initiation and had danced the dance that made me a man. I remember that time, my father and mother were so proud. I met a beautiful woman and before my mother died, she blessed our wedding. We and our village- were happy. For a time..

My younger brother had been away for many years. He returned in the early years of my reign and saw our happiness and was jealous. He brought with him his wife who was a tiny, spiteful thing but still we were overjoyed and welcomed them home.

Slowly but surely chaos started to enter our village. My brother told us of the foreign things he had seen on his journey and said we would be better off, that we would become powerful and wealthy. I told him that our traditions, our customs and our gods were our way and that I did not see the purpose of these foreign things- their people were so sad and suffered, I did not wish that on my people.

My brother began to hate me and started seeking out ears to full with his hate. His wife started to resent us, she who birthed children who were blue and silent while my wife bore children with ease, all born pink and screaming.

The seeds of malcontent were sown and growing now with my brother, the ever vigilant gardener, tending them well with the smile of a well -wishing brother on his face. The weeds amongst the barley, the rot in the corn..

When the war came, I did not realise it was from within and bade my wife to be silent when she told me the truth of it. I would not believe my own brother hated me! How foolish of me, as husband I should of listened, as Chief , I should of listened.

Because of my foolishness my village was at war. My brother had taken his willing ears, great men, great warriors, and declared himself their Chief. Their families followed them and my people and I were heartbroken. I was a good Chief yet my naivety about my brother had split my village in two..

My brother attacked us and niggled away at us nearly destroying both our peoples. The land about us had soaked in the Chaos so was started to waste away. I scouted new land and moved our people and then moved again and again till we had no more land to call home.

I had no choice but to take my people across the forever changing sea to foreign lands to try and find us a home.

We struggled on that crossing, losing some of our elders and some of our young. Some villagers chose to be swallowed by the ocean then to endure that pain any longer. I cried for them all..

When we finally found land seemingly unclaimed, we broke the boats and built a huge fire so our gods could find us and started afresh, planning and building our village anew. We were happy here but the pain of losing our home lingered always in our hearts.

A few short years after our village had been built, my warriors discovered that my brother had also found this land and had a thriving village of his own. I was overjoyed that my brother lived but was wary about his presence. I told my warriors to watch him from afar lest he discover us.

My brother, unbeknownst to us had already discovered us and was preparing for war. His jealousy had started to rot his soul.

I was preparing my people too. I did not want the war we had fled to start again here. When I felt my village was protected, I travelled to my brother village to speak to him, Chief to Chief.

My brother was prepared for my arrival. We spoke as Chiefs then attended the feast he had thrown in my honour. I again met his wife and their two daughters and tiny son. His eldest daughter looked wary and my brother boasted she was yet to bleed but could make any man around her bleed if she wanted..

I left unconvinced that all was well. My brother did not share our pain of losing our home across the sea and he was jealous and arrogant so I left for home worried and sad.

I do not know who struck first but the tensions between our peoples came to a boiling point and spilled out over the lands again. The war was horrific. So many deaths on both sides.

We discovered horses so, after a time, we rode into battle, screaming war cries and wishing it was over. The horses more often then not became our food so much did we want to survive.

The last battle I fought was actually to only time my brother and I faced each other in battle one on one.. I had taken the war to his doorstep, literally. I can see his house clearly in my mind.

His wife screamed angrily at me to leave as I searched the house for my brother.

I discovered him in the dwelling out the back of his house, huge green nets hanging from the roof. My brother rushes at me, his blade raised and his eyes wild. I meet him equally maddened. I hate this war.

Our battle is fierce and long.

Soon though my brother becomes tangled in his nets when they had fallen from the roof so as he struggled to free himself and kill me, I drove my sword through him..

When I tried to pull my blade from his gut, I realised my mistake to late as I felt his sword plunge into my side. My brother died with a garbled giggle and a smile on his face. I gasped and slide off his blade. Laying on the ground gasping in pain and clutching my side I see his eldest daughter reach of a blade. I shook my head sadly at her and she saw the wisdom in that, turning to be with her family.

I struggled up and moved away from my brothers corpse and his house and saw the war raging around me. So many dead. So very many dead.

My wife rushed over and supported me to a space. As I lay there dying, my head nestled on her thigh, she nodded firmly to the women of both tribes. I saw the women wearing the war furs, dancing the war dance and saw shock then the relief in the people and weapons drop from the hands of everyone.

My last thoughts were filled with gratitude, it took the women to put on the furs and dance the last dance to save our people.

Our people would live on.


End file.
